Our highest resolution solar system camera is an affordable solution for capturing images and viewing live video of our nearest neighbors in the night sky on your Windows or Mac computer!

The Orion StarShoot 5 MP Solar System Color Camera is built around a big, 5-megapixel (2592x1944) one-shot color imaging sensor which has super-small 2.2 x 2.2 micron pixels perfect for capturing highly magnified exposures of the Moon and planets.

The StarShoot 5 MP Camera's fast capture rate of up to 51 frames per second lets you record exposures of even the most fleeting moments of excellent seeing so you can stack them to create stunning astrophotos. You'll also appreciate the camera's fast frame rate when taking pictures of fast-paced events in the solar system like lunar occultations, transits, and eclipses. The StarShoot 5 MP Camera's exposure range of 0.001 second to 5 seconds 999 milliseconds, Progressive Scan functionality, and 8-bit A/D conversion will provide admirable results during every lunar or planetary astrophotography session.

The included Orion-exclusive EZPlanCap software is compatible with computers running Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 and Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion or later. EZPlanCap features a useful Auto Dark Frame Removal tool to remove any hot pixels and noise from live-view images. This tool provides a much more pleasing live-view on your computer while you're in the field, and also cleans up the image data you capture for better quality images overall. You can choose to save your images in TIF, BMP, JPG, or PNG formats; and save video footage as AVI (Windows) or MOV (Mac).

With a wide selection of resolution settings (2592x1944, 1280x960, 640x480, 320x240 and 160x120) and binning modes (2x2, 4x4, 8x8 and 16x16), the StarShoot 5 MP Solar System Camera works well with telescopes of all sizes. The adjustable frame rate of up to 5.7 frames per second (FPS) at full 2592x1944 resolution and up to a whopping 51 FPS at 640x480 lets you get the most out of every evening and every target object. The camera's metal body features a 1.25" nosepiece which is threaded for use with 1.25" Orion filters and it lets you easily insert the StarShoot 5 MP Solar System Camera into any telescope's focuser. A built-in infrared cutoff filter (IR-Cut) helps optimize imaging results.

Get the affordable, feature-packed, high-resolution StarShoot 5 MP Solar System Camera today and start taking your very own snapshots of the Moon and planets that share the solar system we call home.

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for one year from date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact us at 800-447-1001.

Imaging chip

Short for "charge-coupled device," a CCD chip is a light-sensitive electronic detector used in making astronomical images. Sensitive over a wide range of wavelengths, and much more efficient than film in gathering light, CCDs are often used to image extremely faint objects.

A/D conversion

The Analog to Digital Converter (A/D Converter) transfers the raw analog signal captured by the camera to a digital value. The digital value is sent to the computer in ADUs (Analog to Digital Units). The A/D Converter also determines the bit resolution of the analog to digital conversion. The more bit resolution the A/D Converter has, the greater the range of ADUs, which yields a better range of image contrast from the camera. (If "X" equals the bit resolution of the A/D Converter, then 2expX = total range of ADUs.) For example, many commercial digital cameras use a 12-bit A/D Converter which has 4,096 ADUs, and high-end astronomical CCD cameras typically use a 16-bit A/D Converter which has 65,536 ADUs.

Thermoelectric cooling

A thermoelectric cooler draws heat away from the chip, which lowers the overall electronic "noise" in the resulting image. For every 6º drop in temperature, the dark noise in the image is reduced by half.

IR filter

CCD cameras are very sensitive to a wide range of wavelengths, including farther out into the infra-red spectrum than we can see by eye. Normally this is never a problem when looking through the telescope, but a sensitive CCD camera will see this slightly out of focus region of the spectrum, resulting in fatter stars than normal. An IR filter will cut out this region of the spectrum leaving tightly focused stars and a better overall image.

Binning

Binning 1x1 simply means each pixel counts as one pixel. Binning 2x2 or more is a method of increasing the sensitivity of a CCD camera at the expense of resolution. Adjacent pixels are summed together into "super-pixels" which have better signal-to-noise ratio. So for example, binning 2x2 would cause 4 pixels to act as one larger pixel, providing a quarter of the resolution, but approximately four times the sensitivity.

Warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.

Orders received by 1pm Eastern Standard Time for in-stock items ship the same business day. Order received after noon will ship the next business day. When an item is not in-stock we will ship it as soon as it becomes available. Typically in-stock items will ship first and backordered items will follow as soon as they are available. You have the option in check out to request that your order ship complete, if you'd prefer.

Need an easy way to start identifying constellations? The Orion Star Target Planisphere is the perfect telescope accessory! Just dial in the date and time to see which stars and constellations are visible. Designed for 30-50 degree North latitude.

The affordable MoonMap 260 is a must-have for any backyard astronomer. The laminated map includes both a correct and reversed view of the Moon and identifies over 260 popular lunar features including craters, valleys, mountain ranges, and more!

For those times when you want more powerful views through your telescope, this compact 3x 4-element Barlow lens will provide a convenient triple-power boost for high magnification study of the Moon, planets, and more.

This mighty 5x Barlow will easily meet the magnification demands of any telescope system. The Orion High-Power 5x 4-Element Barlow Lens quintuples the power of any 1.25" telescope eyepiece, providing far more magnification than a 2x or 3x Barlow.

For cleaning the lenses in your telescope or binocular, the Orion Microfiber Optics Cleaning Cloth lifts dirt, fingerprints, water and oil from surface without scratching, streaking or smearing delicate lens surfaces. The cloth is machine washable.

About Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

Since 1975 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars has been offering telescopes for sale direct to customers. Now an employee-owned company, we pride ourselves on an unswerving commitment to best quality products, value and unmatched customer care. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee says it all.

At Orion, we are committed to sharing our knowledge and passion for astronomy and astrophotography with the amateur astronomy community. Visit the Orion Community Center for in-depth information on telescopes, binoculars, and astrophotography. You can find astrophotography "how to" tips and share your best astronomy pictures here. Submit astronomy articles, events, & reviews, and even become a featured Orion customer!

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